Cigarette-case.



T. B. RICE.

CIGARETTE CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15.191s.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

-i ll 0 THOMAS TB. RICE, OF SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA. I

CIGARETTE-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

Application filed July 15, 1918. Serial No. 245,965.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Maria in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Cases, of which the following is a specification. 0

This invention relates to an lmproved c1garette case and has as its primary ob ect to provide a device of this character wherein the cigarettes will be contained wlthin tubular holders therefor and wherein upon opening of the lid of the case, the cigarettes Will be automatically projected above said holders so that any one of the cigarettes may be readily removed from the case.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character employing a spring pressed ejector plate 1n the bottom portion thereof and carrying a plurality of plungers for projecting the cigarettes above the holders therefor and wherein the plate will be normally restrained against the in-' fluence of the actuating spring therefor by a rod extended from the plate and engaging the lid of the case.

The invention has as a further object to provide a case employing a match compartment and wherein the matches will be projected above the said compartment coincident with the opening of the lid of the case, so that one or more of the matches may be easily removed.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a case embodying a lighter in the construction thereof and wherein the said lighter will be automatically ignited upon the opening of the lid of the case.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds. In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my improved cigarette case with the lid closed,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view more particularly illustrating the tubular holders employed for containing the cigarettes within the case,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction body at its upper end is a lid 11 normally held to close the body by a suitable spring ing matches thereon and arranged within the lid at one end thereof is a snufier 14.

Extending vertically within the case body 10 adjacent opposite ends thereof, are parallel partition walls 15 and 16 respectively; These Walls define a match compartment 17 at one end of the body and a lighter compartment 18 at the opposite end of the body. At their lower ends the partitions 15 and 16 terminate in spaced relation to the bottom wall of the body and slidably mounted within the body below these partitions is an ejector including a plate 19 loosely fitting within the body and carrying a plurality of plungers 20 upon the upper side thereof. Fixed 1n any approved manner within the odybetween the partitions 15 and 16 is a plurality of tubular cigarette holders 21 terminating at their upper .ends with the upper open end of the body and at their lower ends flush with the lower ends of the said partitions. These holders are adapted to loosely receive a plurality of cigarettes, as conventionally shown at 22,'and as will now be observed upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the plungers 20 of the ejector plate 19 are so disposed upon this plate that the said plungers are adapted to slidably fit within the lower ends of the said holders for engagement with the lower ends of the cigarettes. Mounted upon the ejector plate to slide within the match compartment 17, is a block 24.

Mounted within the lighter compartment 18 of the body 10 of the case is an igniter mechanism. This mechanism includes a suitable fuel receptacle 25 having a removable cap 26 through which projects a wick 27. In this connection it will be noted that the upper end of the wick is located somewhat below the upper end of the lighter compartment. Connected to one side ofthe fuel receptacle adjacent its upper end is a tubular casing 28 through the upper end of which is slidably fitted a pyropho rlc stick 29 extending axially of the said caslng. Tnterposed between the lower end of thls st ck and the bottom wall of the casing 18 a spring 30 yieldably projecting the stick from the casing. J ournaled between the partition 16 and the adjacent end wall of the body 10 1s a shaft 31 extending transversely of the lighter compartment and mounted upon this shaft to cooperate with the upper end of the pyrophoric stick 29 is a friction d sk 32. Fixed to the shaft at one side of this disk is a ratchet 33 and arranged to cooperate with this ratchet is a pawl or arm 34. The

'pawl 34 is pivoted upon a lateral arm 34:

carried by a rod 35 supporting the said pawl to project in front of the ratchet, the pawl being provided at its free end w1th a sultable tooth to engage the teeth of the ratchet. Extendin between the rod and the free extremity o the pawl is a spring 36 yieldably holding the pawl to cooperate w1th the ratchet. At its lower end the rod 35 is connected in any approved manner with the adjacent end of the ejector plate 19 and at its upper end is formed with a head or knob 37 adapted to engage within the 11d 11 of the case. Projecting laterally from the rod adjacent its lower extremity is a hook 38. A similar hook 39 projects from the rear wall of the case bod 10 within the compartment 18 and engage at its ends over these hooks is a spring 40 acting through the rod with a constant tendency toward shifting the ejector plate19 upwardly within the body of the case and thus moving the plungers 20 into the lower ends of the tubular holders 21 for projecting the upper ends of the cigarettes above the said holders so that the cigarettes may be readily grasped. Upward movement of the ejector plate is, of course, limited by the engagement of the said plate with the lower ends of the partitions 15 and 16 as well as with the lower ends of the tubular holders 21. Since the block 24: is carried by the ejector late, when the ejector p ate is shifted upwardly for projecting the upper ends of the ci arettes from the tubular holders, any mate es contained within the match compartment will also be projected above the upper end of this compartment so that one or more of the matches may be easily removed.

When the lid is open, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the rod 35 projects above the upper endof the body 10 of the case.

it will be seen that Connected to the lid for engagement with the knob 37 of the said rod is an arml. Upon closing the lid, this arm will ride over the said knob for depressing the rod and plate 19 against the tension of the s ring 40 so that the cigarettes may thus shi downwardl within the tubular holders 21 to be entire y inclosed thereby. On the other hand, when the catch 12 is manually released to free the lid, this rod will then be projected upwardly within the lighter compartment 18 for swinging the lid to open position. Simultaneously the ejector p ate 19 will be shifted to project the plungers 20 into the lower ends of the tubular holders 21 for projecting the cigarettes above the upper ends of the said holders. As the rod 35 moves upwardly with the ejector plate, the pawl 34 will be shifted to engage the ratchet 33 for rotating the friction disk 32. Rotation of this disk will, of course, act upon the pyrophoric stick 29 for igniting the wick 27. The lighter will thus be automaticall ignited coincident with the opening of the cigarette case while, at the same time, the cigarettes will be disposed in such osition that they may be readily grasped at t eir upper ends and removed. When the lid is again closed the snufier 14 will be moved to fit over and inclose the wick 27 for snufiing out the flame therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described including abody, a lid therefor, means normally holding the lid closed and manually operable for releasin the lid, a cigarette holder arranged withln the body, an ejector slidable within the body, yieldable means constantly tending to shift the ejector u wardly for projecting a cigarette within the holder above the upper end thereof, a lighter, depressing means for the ejector carried thereby and engageable by the lid for depressing the ejector when the lid is closed, means for igniting the lighter, and means carried by said depressing means for actuating the igniting means coincident with the upward shifting of the ejector.

2. A device of the character described includin a body, a lid therefor, means normally olding the lid closed and manually operable for releasing the lid, a cigarette holder arranged within the body, an ejector slidable within the body, yieldable means constantly tending to shift the ejector upwardly for projecting a cigarette within the holder above the upper end thereof, a lighter, igniting mechanism for the lighter, a rod extending from the ejector and engageable by the lid for depressin the ejector from the lid when the lid is c osed, and means carried by the said rod for actuating said igniting mechanism upon the upward shifting of the ejector.

'cluding a body,

3. A device of the character described inspaced partitions within the body defining a match compartment and a lighter compartment therein, a cigarette holder mounted within the body between said partitions, an ejector plate slidable within the body and projecting beneath said partitions into said compartments, yieldable means constantly tending to shift the ejector plate upwardly within the body for projecting a cigarette within the holder above the upper end thereof, means carried by the plate within the match compartment for projecting matches above said compartment upon the upward shifting of the ejector plate, a lighter within the lighter compartment, means for igniting the lighter, and means sup orted from the ejector plate within the ighter compartment for actuating the igniting means upon the upward shifting of said plate.

4. A device of the character described including a body, a cigarette holder within the body, an e ector, means for actuating the ejector to project a cigarette from the holder, a lighter, igniting means for the lighter, and means for actuating said igniting means operable by the ejector upon the actuation thereof. 1

5. In a cigarette case, the combination with a body, a'cigarette holder therein, a spring pressed ejector normally held depressed, and means for releasing the ejector to project a cigarettefrom the holder, of a lighter, igniting means for the lighter, and

means for actuating the iignitlng means operable by the ejector upon its release.

6. A device of the eluding a body, a cigarette holder therein,a spring pressed ejector normally held depressed, means for releasing the ejector to project a cigarette from the holder, a lighter, igniting means for the lighter, and means carried by the ejector for actuating said igniting means when the ejector is released.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

THoMAs B. RICE. 1,. 5.

character described in- 

